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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWEAN midfielder Marshall Munetsi played the whole game for Stade de Reims last night as Lionel Messi made his long anticipated debut in a 2-0 win for visiting French Ligue 1 football giants, Paris Saint-Germain.
Munetsi, who has now featured in all four games for Reims, had a goal disallowed for off-side. The Zimbabwean had thought that he had levelled matters, at the restart, after double scorer Kylian Mbappe had given the Parisians a first-half lead.
All 20 545 tickets available were sold at the Auguste Delaune stadium to see 34-year-old Messi play for the first time in PSG colours, a few weeks after the big move from Barcelona.
Messi was eventually thrown into the fray in the 66th minute after replacing another PSG star, Neymar.
After a stuttering start, PSG got into their groove and Mbappe put them ahead after 15 minutes by heading home from Angel Di Maria’s cross.
All the while, Munetsi was involved in the thick of things in the Reims midfield where he showed great composure and maturity.
Reims celebrated what they thought was a Munetsi equaliser five minutes into the second half, only for the Zimbabwean’s effort to be ruled out for offside after VAR checks.
Mbappe then doubled PSG’s advantage from Achraf Hakimi’s cross at the end of a sharp counter attack. Messi started warming up after 57 minutes, drawing applause from the Reims supporters, whom he saluted.
Mbappe combined with Messi, but the former Barcelona striker was not in the same condition as the Frenchman, having not played a competitive game since winning the Copa America with Argentina on July 10.
Reims suffered loss for the first time this season with the defeat. They are still looking for the elusive win after they started the current campaign with three successive draws.
PSG are top of the standings with a maximum 12 points.
Online Reporter